Structural members of sheet material for walls, roofings, floors and the like



March 8, 1966 VIVIQ 3,238,681

STRUCTURAL MEMBERS OF SHEET MATERIAL FOR WALLS, ROOFINGS, FLOORS AND THELIKE Filed March 7, 1963 2. Sheets-Sheet l March 8, 1956 E v v o3,238,681

STRUCTURAL MEMBER S 0F SHEET MATERIAL FOR WALLS, ROOFINGS, FLOORS ANDTHE LIKE Filed March '7, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3238 681 STRUCTURAL MEMBERS or SHEET MATERIAL FOR WALLS, RooFrNcs, FLOORSAND THE LIKE Enrico Vivio, Rome, Italy, assignor to Ircom S.p.A., Rome,Italy, a joint-stock company of Italy Filed Mar. 7, 1963, Ser. No.263,493 4 Claims. (Cl. 52378) The present invention refers tofabrication of roofing, siding, floors and the like by means ofparticular structural members made from sheet material, such as metalsheet, laminated, rolled or otherwise formed plastic, glass and similarmaterial, and it further refers to structural members adapted for saidfabrication.

It is known to make roofing by means of metal sheet or other rolledmaterial of the most diverse shapes, such members being assembled in aside by side relationship with overlapping or abutting edges andfastened to the framing of the building by means of screws, bolts orclips passed through holes drilled into the material, the joints betweenabutting sheets being covered by gussets, joint covers, straps, battensor other special elements in order to prevent the penetration or seepageof water into said joints.

The need for such additional roofing accessories as well as the workinvolved in their installation renders the construction of roofing slowand complex.

It is an object of the present invention to render roof constructionmore simple and speedy by eliminating said need for hole drilling andthe application of said accessories by providing a novel method ofroofing construction using engageable structural members, whose sidesare formed into battens, each batten being slidable over or insertedinto a corresponding batten of the adjacent member, said structuralmembers being also provided with elongated recesses into which areengageable fasteners to attach said members to the framing, whereby thenovel method of roofing construction is essentially reduced to the stepsof assembling the members of each course by interlocking thecorresponding battens of the adjacent members in the manner described,and fastening each member to the underlying framing area by tighteningthe fasteners engaging in the previously mentioned recesses.

Another object of this invention is to extend this method to theconstruction of sidings and partitions by a slightly modified use of theaforesaid structural elements, the sidings and partitions builtaccording said method using said members being excellently adapted toreceive heat and/ or sound insulating material.

It is a still further object of the invention to also extend said methodto the construction of floors by a further modified use of the inventivestructural elements, wherein the latter serve both as reinforcementtaking up tensile stresses in the resulting reinforced concrete floor,to which suspended ceilings or other structures as Well as all sorts ofappliances may be easily fastened without the need of holes, welds orthe like.

Another object of the invention is to provide structural members whichare adapted to be used in the application of the method of theinvention. Such structural members consist of sheets or plates Whoselateral edges are bent upwards and sideways into cross-sec tionalshapes, into which the correspondingly shaped lateral edges of adjoiningmembers may be slidably engaged, with the result of interlocking andjointing together of said members and the forming of a batten preventingwater from penetrating into the joint.

Between the upturned edges of said structural members, and preferablyrunning parallel to the former, are spaced-apart elongated recessesformed in said mem- "ice bers, the cross-sectional shape of saidrecesses being such as to receive clips, anchor bolts or other fastenerswhich are to connect said members to the roof framing or othersupporting structure, or, when said structural members are applied tothe other users mentioned, to anchor suspended ceilings or sundryaccessories.

The invention will be better understood from the following descriptionof some of its possible embodiments, made with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view through a structural memberaccording to the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the mode ofinterconnecting two such adjacent members and fastening these to apurlin;

FIGURE 3 is a cross-sectional view showing two interlocked structuralmembers fastened to a wall plate and filled with insulating material toform a partition;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a floor portion madeby assembling the structural members of the preceding figures; and

FIGURES 5-7' each represent cross-sectional views of modifiedembodiments of the structural member of the invention.

The structural members generally indicated at 1 in FIGS. 1 and 2, aswell as those indicated at 18, 22, 26 in FIGS. 5 through 7 arerepresented as being formed integral from one sheet or plate, althoughit is evident that they can be built up from various shapes by riveting,welding, brazing etc. With particular reference to FIGS. 1 through 4,the structural member, which is generally indicated at 1, comprises ahorizontal plate or body portion 2 terminating in two upturned legs 3and 4 respectively. Plate or web 2 has raised T-shaped portions spacedapartalong its width and running parallel to both legs 3 and 4. As shownin the drawing, these raised portions 5 define grooves open to thebottom face of plate 2 and ending in lateral recesses 5'. These raisedportions 5, in addition to acting as stiffening ribs for the structuralmembers 1, are intended for receiving, within the recesses 5' theydefine, fastening means anchoring them to the frame structure. In FIG.2, the fasteners represented are bolts, whose umbrella-heads engage inrecesses 5 to press the members 1 against a purlin 10 once the bolts aretightened by wing nuts 6. This provision not only eliminates the need:of drilling holes into members 2, but also permits their longitudinaladjustment prior to fixing them in place.

The end portion of leg 3 is bent inward to form a molding 8, which, asindicated in dotted lines shows how an adjacent member fits into acomplementarily molded bend 9 provided at the end of the other leg 4 ofmember 1. Thus, the coupling of a bend 8 of a member with the adjoiningbend 9 of an adjacent member results in a joint which not only acts as abatten to prevent seepage but insures a sturdy connection betweenadjacent members of a course or strake. It is obviously convenient toarrange the legs of each member in the manner shown in the figures, i.e.with one bend, say 8, formed as the inner part of the joint, and theother, say 9, as the outer part of the joint interconnecting successivemembers.

FIGURE 2 shows how adjacent members 1 are fastened to a framing 10 byinserting the heads 7 of the anchoring bolts into the recesses 5' of thegrooves and tightening wing nuts 6 after correctly positioning members1.

FIGURE 3 shows how the members 1 can be fitted together and clampedagainst a plate 11 to form a hollow sliding or partition which can befilled, for instance, with insulating material. The elements used arethe structural members 1 of FIGS. 1 and 2, and also the mode ofinterconnecting adjacent members of a course or strake is identicaltherewith, the only difference in installation being the manner of theirattachment to plate 11. In fact, plate 11 runs on the top of the lateralflanges formed by said legs and bends and is therefore directly fastenedto the latter. In FIG. 3 hooks 12 are used, whose ends press bends S and9 together and against plate 11 when nut 13 is tightened on the threadedshank of said hooks.

FIGURE 4 shows the use of structural members 1 as component parts of aconcrete floor. Here again the members 1 are interconnected in thealready described and illustrated manner, whereafter concrete is filledinto the spaces defined by the bottom plates 2 and legs 3, 4, up to aconvenient level. Members 1, together with their flanges and T-shapedraised portions, constitute therefore both the casting forms andreinforcements of said floor. Steel reinforcement rods 17 may be securedto members 1, prior to pouring of the concrete, by means of suitablefasteners 16 hooked beneath bends 8 and looped around steelreinforcement rods 17. Obviously the channels may serve, even in thiscase, various purposes, such as the fastening of suspended ceilings,chandeliers, aerators etc. This use of laminated roofing elements forfloor construction is absolutely novel in the art and rendered possibleby the particular configuration imparted to the structural members ofthe present invention.

Many diflerent shapes and embodiments can be imparted to said structuralmembers, without departing from the scope of the present invention. Someare shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. These differences concern the crosssectionalshapes and disposition of the grooves and bends. Thus structural member18, as shown in FIG. 5, has an internal bend 19 and an external bend 20presenting a step 21. Member 22 in FIG. 6 presents rounded bend tops 23and 24, while its grooves 25 present a central upper recess 25.

Member 26 in FIG. 7 has an internal bend 27 and an external bend 28 witha polygonal cross-section, while its grooves 29 present a rounded top29.

It is understood that these and other modifications, which are obviousto those skilled in the art, are all encompassed Within the scope andspirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A structural member constituted of sheet material, for roofings,sidings, partitions, flooring and the like, said member comprising acentral body portion having opposite sides ,and a flange portion at eachof the sides of said central body portion, said flange portions eachcomprising an upstanding leg on the central body portion and a terminalmolding portion on the upstanding leg, said molding portion including afirst lateral branch portion connected to the upstanding leg andextending parallel to the central body portion, a depending branchportion connected to the end of the first branch portion and extendingparallel to the upstanding leg, a second lateral branch portionconnected to the end of the depending branch portion and extendingparallel to the first lateral branch portion at a distance closer to thecentral body portion than said first lateral branch portion whereby saidlateral branch portions and said depending branch portion define a steparrangement, and a second depending branch portion connected to the endof the second lateral branch portion and extending parallel to theupstanding leg such that said molding portion defines with itsrespective leg a channel which opens downwardly in a direction towardsthe central body portion, said second depending branch portion having afree lower edge defining with said respective leg an opening into thechannel corresponding to the maximum width of the channel, each flangeportion at one side of the member having a shape complementary to theshape of the flange portion at the other side of said member and facingin the same direction with the molding portion of each flange extendinglaterally from the same side of their respective upstanding legs whereinonly one said molding portion overlies said central body portion topermit interengaged coupling of complemen- Cit tarily shaped flangeportions of two identical members to form a batten type joint, thelatter flange portions being engageable by the insertion of one flangeportion into the toher through the said opening into the channelthereof, and a plurality of spaced raised portions in said central bodyportion of generally T-shape defining T- shaped channels having openingsat the underside of said central body portion.

2. A roofing structure comprising a plurality of structural membersassembled in side-by-side relation, each member being constituted ofsheet material and comprising a central body portion having oppositesides and a flange portion at each of the sides of said central bodyportion, said flange portions each comprising an upstanding leg on thecentral body portion and a terminal molding portion, said moldingportion including a first lateral branch portion connected to theupstanding leg and extending parallel to the central body portion, adepending branch portion connected to the end of the first branchport-ion and extending parallel to the upstanding leg, a second lateralbranch portion connected to the end of the depending branch portion andextending parallel to the first lateral branch portion at a distancecloser to the central body portion than said first lateral branchportion whereby said lateral branch portions and said depending branchportion define a step arrangement, and a second depending branch portionconnected to the end of the second lateral branch portion and extendingparallel to the upstanding leg such that said molding portion defineswith its respective leg a channel which opens downwardly in a directiontowards the central body portion, said second depending branch portionhaving a free lower edge defining with said respective leg an openingint-o the channel corresponding to the maximum width of the channel,each flange portion at one side of the member having a shapecomplementary to the shape of the flange portion at the other side ofsaid member and facing in the same direction with the molding portion ofeach flange extending laterally from the same side of their respectiveupstanding legs wherein only one said molding portion overlies saidcentral body portion to permit interengaged coupling of comple-mentarilyshaped flange portions of two identical members to form a batten typejoint, the latter flange portions being engageable by the insertion ofone flange portion into the other through the said opening into thechannel thereof, and a plurality of spaced raised portions in saidcentral body portion of generally T-shape defining T-shaped channelshaving openings at the underside of said central body portion, saidmembers being assembled with the flange portions of each memberinterengaged in the channel of the complementary flange portion of theadjacent member, a plate, said members resting on said plate, and aplurality of fastener means securing the individual members to saidplate, said fastener means each comprising a fastener including anenlarged head portion accommodated in a respective T- shaped channel.

3. A wall structure comprising a plurality of structural membersassembled in side by side relation, each member being constituted ofsheet material and comprising a central body portion having oppositesides and a flange portion at each of the sides of said central bodyportion, said flange portions each comprising an upstanding leg on thecentral body portion and a terminal molding portion, said moldingportion including a first lateral branch portion connected to theupstanding leg and extending parallel to the central body portion, adepending branch portion connected to the end of the first branchportion and extending parallel to the upstanding leg, 21 second lateralbranch portion connected to the end of the depending branch portion andextending parallel to the first lateral branch portion at a distancecloser to the central body portion than said first lateral branchportion whereby said lateral branch portions and said depending branchportion define a step arrangement, and a second depending branch portionconnected to the end of the second lateral branch portion and extendingparallel to the upstanding leg such that said molding portion defineswith its respective leg a channel which opens downwardly in a directiontowards the central body portion, said second depending branch portionhaving a free lower edge defining with said respective leg an openinginto the channel corresponding to the maximum width of the channel, eachflange portion .at one side of the member having a shape complementaryto the shape of the flange portion at the other side of said member andfacing in the same direction with the molding portion of each flangeextending laterally from the same side of their respective upstandinglegs wherein only one said molding portion overlies said central bodyportion to permit interengaged coupling of complementarily shaped flangeportions of two identical members to form a batten type joint, thelatter flange portions being engageable by the insertion of one flangeportion into the other through the opening in the channel thereof, and aplurality of spaced raised portions in said central body portion ofgenerally T-shape defining T- shaped channels having openings at theunderside of said central body portion, said members being assembledwith the flange portions of each member interengaged in the channel ofthe complementary flange portion of the adjacent member, a plate restingon the uppermost of said first lateral branches of the interengagedflange portions, means securing the plate to the assembled members bythe engagement of the plate and the interengaged flanges of theassembled members, said plate defining cavities between itself and theassembled members and filling material in said cavities completelyfilling the same.

4. A floor structure comprising a plurality of structural membersassembled in side by side relation, each member being constituted ofsheet material and comp-rising a central body portion having oppositesides and a flange portion at each of the sides of said central bodyportion, said flange portions each comprising an upstanding leg on thecentral body portion and a terminal molding portion, said moldingportion including a first lateral bran-ch portion connected to theupstanding leg and extending parallel to the central body portion, adepending branch portion connected to the end of the first branchportion and extending parallel to the upstanding leg, a second lateralbranch portion connected to the end of the depending branch portion andextending parallel to the first lateral branch portion at a distancecloser to the central body portion than said first lateral branchportion whereby said lateral branch portions and said depending branchportion define a step arrangement, and a second depending branch portionconnected to the end of the second lateral branch portion and extendingparallel to the upstanding leg such that said molding portion defineswith its respective leg a channel which opens downwardly in a directiontowards the central body portion, said second depending branch portionhaving a tree lower edge defining with said respective leg an openingfor the channel corresponding to the maximum width of the channel, eachflange portion at one side of the member having a shape complementary tothe shape of the flange portion at the other side of said member andfacing in the same direction with the molding portion of each flangeextending laterally from the same side of their respective upstandinglegs wherein only one said molding portion overlies said central bodyportion to permit interengaged coupling of complementarily shaped flangeportions of two identical members to form a batten type joint, thelatter flange portions being engageable by the insertion of one flangeportion into the other through the opening in the channel thereof, and aplurality of spaced raised portions in said central body portion ofgenerally T-shape defining T-shaped channels having openings at theunderside of said central body portion, said members being assembledwith the flange portions of each member interengaged in the channel ofthe complementary flange portion of the adjacent member, reinforcementrods extending across the interengaged flange portions, means connectingthe reinforcement rods to the interengaged flange portions, saidassembled members defining cavities therein, and concrete in saidcavities to a level overlying the reinforcement rods.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 757,519 4/1904Turnbull 52336 X 1,014,157 1/1912 Lewen 52-326 1,772,694 -8/ 1930 White52-335 X 1,925,417 9/1933 Swank 522 84 2,245,688 6/1941 Krueger 52450 X2,378,567 6/ 1945 McCloskey 52545 X FOREIGN PATENTS 5,230 1926Australia.

537,594 5/ 1955 Belgium.

841,373 2/ 1939 France. 1,249,543 11/ 1960 France.

776,547 6/1957 Great Britain.

819,668 9/ 1959 Great Britain.

331,430 9/ 1958 Switzerland.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner.

JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner.

A. C. PERHA M, Assistant Examiner.

4. A FLOOR STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF STRUCTURAL MEMBERSASSEMBLED IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION, EACH MEMBER BEING CONSTITUTED OFSHEET MATERIAL AND COMPRISING A CENTRAL BODY PORTION HAVING OPPOSITESIDES AND A FLANGE PORTION AT EACH OF THE SIDES OF SAID CENTRAL BODYPORTION, SAID FLANGE PORTIONS EACH COMPRISING AN UPSTANDING LEG ON THECENTRAL BODY PORTION AND A TERMINAL MOLDING PORTION, SAID MOLDINGPORTION INCLUDING A FIRST LATERAL BRANCH PORTION CONNECTED TO THEUPSTANDING LEG AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE CENTRAL BODY PORTION, ADEPENDING BRANCH PORTION CONNECTED TO THE END OF THE FIRST BRANCHPORTION AND EXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE UPSTANDING LEG, A SECOND LATERALBRANCH PORTION CONNECTED TO THE END OF THE DEPENDING BRANCH PORTION ANDEXTENDING PARALLEL TO THE FIRST LATERAL BRANCH PORTION AT A DISTANCECLOSER TO THE CENTRAL BODY PORTION THAN SAID FIRST LATERAL BRANCH PORTINWHEREBY SAID LATERAL BRANCH PORTIONS AND SAID DEPENDING BRANCH PORTIONDEFINE A STEP ARRANGEMENT, AND A SECOND DEPENDING BRANCH PORTIONCONNECTED TO THE END OF THE SECOND LATERAL BRANCH PORTION AND EXTENDINGPARALLEL TO THE UPSTANDING LEG SUCH THAT SAID MOLDING PORTION DEFINESWITH ITS RESPECTIVE LEG A CHANNEL WHICH OPENS DOWNWARDLY IN A DIRECTIONTOWARDS THE CENTRAL BODY PORTION, SAID SECOND DEPENDING BRANCH PORTIONHAVING A FREE LOWER EDGE DEFINING WITH SAID RESPECTIVE LEG AN OPENINGFOR THE CHANNEL CORRESPONDING TO THE MAXIMUM WIDTH OF THE CHANNEL, EACHFLANGE PORTION AT ONE SIDE OF THE MEMBER HAVING A SHAPE COMPLEMENTARY TOTHE SHAPE OF THE FLANGE PORTION AT THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID MEMBER ANDFACING IN THE SAME DIRECTION WITH THE MOLDING PORTION OF EACH FLANGEEXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE SAME SIDE OF THEIR RESPECTIVE UPSTANDINGLEGS WHEREIN ONLY ONE SIDE MOLDING PORTION OVERLIES SAID CENTRAL BODYPORTION PERMIT INTERENGAGED COUPLING OF COMPLEMENTARILY SHAPED FLANGEPORTIONS OF TWO IDENTICAL MEMBERS TO FORM A BATTEN TYPE JOINT, THELATTER FLANGE PORTIONS BEING ENGAGEABLE BY THE INSERTION OF ONE FLANGEPORTION INTO THE OTHER THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE CHANNEL THEREOF, AND APLURALITY OF SPACED RAISED PORTIONS IN SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION TOGENERALLY T-SHAPED DEFINING T-SHAPED CHANNELS HAVING OPENINGS AT THEUNDERSIDE OF SAID CENTRAL BODY PORTION, SAID MEMBERS BEING ASSEMBLEDWITH THE FLANGE PORTIONS OF EACH MEMBER INTERENGAGED IN THE CHANNEL OFTHE COMPLEMENTARY FLANGE PORTION OF THE ADJACENT MEMBER, REINFORCEMENTRODS EXTENDING ACROSS THE INTERENGAGED FLANGE PORTIONS, MEANS CONNECTINGTHE REINFORCEMENT RODS TO THE INTERENGAGED FLANGE PORTIONS, SAIDASSEMBLED MEMBERS DEFINING CAVITIES THEREING, AND CONCRETE IN SAIDCAVITIES TO A LEVEL OVERLYING THE REINFORCEMENT RODS.